Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 69759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
“You won’t,” I mutter. “I promise you, you won’t.”
I get up and leave the police station, but I’m under strict watch. Without proof, they can’t hold me for the attack and they damn well know it. They can arrest me, but they can’t lock me up and throw away the key unless they know for certain it was me. It wasn’t me, though. I can’t go near Riggs, but my god do I have a few words to say him.
I wonder about Adan and hope he’s okay.
My dad picks me up from the station and takes me home. The entire drive he doesn’t say much to me. I don’t know what he’s thinking but I do know the look on his face screams disappointment. Surely he doesn’t believe I have it in me to do something like this either?
“I didn’t do it, Daddy,” I say, breaking the silence. “I would never risk someone’s life like that.”
“Why did they arrest you, Evelina?”
“Because Riggs told them I did it, and a few other members. They had to arrest me. They also couldn’t keep me because they have no proof. If they did, I wouldn’t be here with you right now. I did not light that building up, I’m not so childish—”
“But you are childish, messing with those bikers the way you have been. What did you think was going to happen? You’ve gotten yourself into more trouble in the last few months than you ever have before. You’re playing with fire and now you have been burned. You could lose everything. When are you going to grow up?”
I clench my teeth and stare out the window.
He’s right.
We did take things too far, we did push each other to the limits, but I would never hurt someone, and this clearly doesn’t have anything to do with me. Someone else lit that garage up, and while they’re angry at me, that person is still walking around ready to do god knows what else.
They’re not safe, but they’re too busy blaming me to open their eyes to that.
“Just take me home,” I say softly to my dad.
“I’m disappointed in you, Evelina. I raised you better.”
“I had nothing to do with this,” I yell, frustrated. “Not a single damned thing.”
He doesn’t say anything more.
That’s because he doesn’t believe me.
Nobody does.
And there is absolutely nothing I can fucking do about it.
Until there is proof, I am the girl who lit that garage up.
15
I STRIDE WITH PURPOSE toward the garage. I left it a day, one fucking day, and now I’m pissed. Mostly, I’m angry that Riggs actually believes I would do something like that, or even worse, that he set it up exactly like this to tarnish my reputation. I’ve already had a total of eight people ask me this morning if I did it, and if the rumors were true. That’s the thing about small towns—that shit spreads, and now everybody thinks I’m a damned criminal.
We’re going to sort this out once and for all.
I’m done.
So fucking done.
I reach the garage which is partially burned. It looked a lot worse before, when there were flames roaring out the top of it. Now it’s just a charred mess, but thankfully it’s only one bay and they’re able to section it off and still work out of the other two bays. The office is untouched and the clubhouse is fine, so really, it hasn’t done too much damage, and I’m certain insurance will cover it.
I catch the eye of Hank and Remy who are both working on a car, their clothes covered in oil and grease, making them look even better than they already do. It’s Remy that puts his tools down and walks toward me, stopping me before I can reach the office. “You can’t go in there. You’re not allowed near Riggs, you know that, Eve.”
“I didn’t do this, Remy. I swear to god I didn’t do it. I wasn’t even close by. We might have our differences but I’m not that stupid. I need to talk to him.”
“I believe you,” he tells me, “but fact is he doesn’t and right now, he’s fuckin’ pissed and he doesn’t want you anywhere near him. Goin’ in there won’t help your case, let them look at the evidence and clear you that way, then he can come and suck up, but until then, he won’t hear what you’ve got to say.”
I exhale, closing my eyes and inhaling a new breath slowly into my nose. “I swear to god, that biker will be the damned death of me.”
I open my eyes and nod slowly. “Fine, but you need to tell him I came by and that I didn’t do this!”
“I’ve told him, he doesn’t believe it. Let it run its course, yeah?”
I blow out a big puff of air and then throw my hands up. “Ugh, fine, I’ll go and look like a damned criminal in front of my customers. Let me tell you, they’re not happy about it. I’d really appreciate my business not being tarnished over this.”